An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
